Chapter 18: Old Tales of Lengshan County |
The third day of the third month.
Within the Changle Residence, beneath the skies of Lengshan County
“How has your wife been lately?” the Marquis of Changle asked suddenly.
Fang Xun was visibly taken aback. Cold sweat broke out across his back as he hurriedly nodded. “Thank you for Your Lordship’s concern. I have already invited a renowned physician to tend to her. She is currently resting in bed and recuperating.”
The Marquis of Changle spoke calmly, “I have heard that the two of you knew each other since your humblest days and endured hardships together. Especially now that she is with child… you must not fail her.”
“In my life, I detest most those cold-hearted men who abandon their partners after taking advantage of them.”
The smile on Fang Xun’s face looked even more strained than a grimace. Forcing himself to appear righteous, he declared, “Your Lordship worries too much! As an official of the Great Qian court, I am meant to serve as an example to the people. How could I ever commit such heartless and despicable acts that would earn the scorn of all?”
“Good.” The Marquis cast him a meaningful glance.
Only then did she turn to the matter at hand.
Had this been before Yu Niang’s appearance, Fang Xun would have been overjoyed to hear that the Marquis of Changle needed something from him. But after being subtly pressured time and again, any unrealistic fantasies in his heart had long since been extinguished.
Before the Marquis could finish speaking, Fang Xun immediately cupped his hands and swore with utmost sincerity, “Your Lordship speaks too modestly! If there is anything you require, please command me. So long as it falls within the scope of my duties and does not violate the laws of Great Qian, I will brave fire and water without hesitation!”
The Marquis of Changle did not immediately state her request.
Instead, in her voice as clear as flowing spring water, she posed a seemingly unrelated question: “You have served as an official here for many years. Do you know why this land is called ‘Lengshan’?”[1]
Having governed the region for a full decade, Fang Xun naturally knew such basic knowledge by heart. He answered promptly, “Because this place lies within a region of extreme yin stretching ten thousand li. The cold radiance of the moon shines upon it year-round, and its chill pierces to the bone. Hence the name.”
The Marquis nodded slightly and continued at an unhurried pace, “Then do you know why this land became one of the rare extreme yin regions in the world?”
This casual question left Fang Xun completely stumped. He frowned and pondered for a long while, yet could find no answer. In the end, he could only shake his head awkwardly.
The Marquis of Changle revealed the answer herself: “It is said that in ancient times, a great being fell here. Though the flesh decayed, its yin soul did not disperse. It is precisely the long-term erosion of that lingering power that formed the Lengshan of today.”
“This concentrated, unyielding yin force, even before the founding of Great Qian, made this place one of the finest sacred grounds for tempering swords in the world.”
Fang Xun was startled. He had never expected that the Lengshan County he governed concealed such an ancient and unknown secret.
“Ancient times…” he murmured, repeating the words under his breath, a trace of reverence surfacing in his eyes.
After the founding of Great Qian Dynasty, the Grand Historian once compiled the Record of Emperor''s Exegesis, recording the affairs of the realm.
But as for the long years before Great Qian was established.
Whether it was the bloody chaos of the Eight Kingdoms vying for supremacy, or the even more distant dark ages that lasted thousands of years.
All texts and records concerning that era had been completely erased from the world by the Qian Emperor through unimaginable means.
The people of the present could no longer know that history. Only through fragmented oral accounts passed down by those who once lived in those times could a few hidden truths be glimpsed.
“This time, my purpose in coming here is to borrow the extreme yin power of Lengshan,” the Marquis of Changle finally revealed her true intention.
Fang Xun nodded inwardly. This, at last, made sense.
Her earlier claim of having come on a whim to take a look had clearly been nothing more than an excuse.
Having thought this through, Fang Xun immediately composed himself. His expression turned solemn as he asked, “Since that is the case, how may this subordinate be of service, so that I may share Your Lordship’s burdens?”
The voice of the Marquis of Changle remained calm and unhurried.
“The extreme yin force of Lengshan all originates from that fallen ancient divine soul. However, this ‘Lengshan Soul’ does not lie dormant in a fixed place. Rather, like a living entity, it has wandered for countless years through the deepest layers beneath Lengshan.”
“The underground of Lengshan?”
Fang Xun’s expression shifted slightly. A location instantly surfaced in his mind.
“Could Your Lordship be referring to… the long-abandoned Lengshan mining vein outside the city?”
“Correct.”
Hearing this, a trace of difficulty appeared on Fang Xun’s face.
“Your Lordship, please understand. According to the county archives, the mineral resources beneath Lengshan were already exhausted over two hundred years ago. The entire mining vein was subsequently sealed and abandoned by the authorities.”
“Furthermore, it is said that the Lengshan grand mine originally belonged to the State of Xu. After the founding of Great Qian, it continued to be exploited for more than three hundred years. By now, the underground has been dug into a labyrinth resembling a massive ant nest, intricate and bottomless. One misstep, and one could easily become lost within…”
“If Your Lordship wishes to enter, I fear this subordinate can offer little assistance.”
The Marquis of Changle smiled faintly.
“You are the magistrate of Lengshan. How could I allow you to risk yourself?”
Her tone shifted.
“Let me ask you this. Among the laborers here, how many are skilled in cultivating Lengshan Grass?”
Fang Xun was momentarily taken aback. Just a moment ago, the Marquis had been discussing entering the mining tunnels, yet now she had suddenly turned her attention to the laborers of Lengshan. For an instant, he could not make sense of it.
However, having spent years navigating officialdom, his thoughts turned swiftly, and something clicked.
“Lengshan Soul, Lengshan Venerable, Lengshan Grass…”
“Could it be…” Fang Xun’s eyes lit up.
As if seeing through his thoughts, the Marquis of Changle nodded in affirmation.
“The changes in Lengshan all stem from the Lengshan Soul.”
“Or rather, from that fallen ancient powerhouse. Though its soul has perished, it has not dispersed, seeking instead to be reborn through the radiance of the cold moon.”
“Thus… wherever the Lengshan Soul wanders and emits its extreme yin aura, Lengshan Grass will inevitably grow alongside it.”
“Although the underground mining veins are exceedingly complex, like a maze, as long as we have a group of people who are highly sensitive to the aura of Lengshan Grass to scout ahead, following the traces of its growth deeper and deeper, we can approach, and even precisely track, the true location of the Lengshan Soul.”
“The people I require are precisely these laborers. Once the task is accomplished, there will be generous rewards.”
The Marquis of Changle calmly laid out her entire plan.
At the moment their gazes met, Fang Xun’s heart, which had only just settled because of Yu Niang’s matter, began pounding wildly once more like a war drum.
“Rest assured, Your Lordship. This subordinate will see it done.”
After giving a deep bow, Fang Xun suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and hurriedly took his leave from the suspended residence, rushing back to the county office below.
Seated at his desk, his brows furrowed tightly, he muttered,
“Those skilled in cultivating Lengshan Grass…”
After a brief moment of deliberation, he summoned the head bailiff of Lengshan County, Sun Wu.
“Compile for me a list of laborers from the past ten years… no, the past twenty years, who have never once delayed their Lengshan Grass quotas, and who have even produced a surplus for private trade.”
“This subordinate will attend to it at once.”
Sun Wu was intimately familiar with the condition of the laborers under his charge. Before long, he returned with a list, the ink still fresh, and respectfully presented it.
Fang Xun’s gaze burned as he looked at the twenty-three names written on the paper.
“Bring every person on this list here.”
Just as Sun Wu was about to turn and leave, Fang Xun suddenly lowered his voice.
“Remember, do it discreetly. Do not let any word leak out.”
Sun Wu’s heart trembled. He bowed deeply.
Thus, an hour later, Li Shun, who had been enjoying a rare moment of peace in his residence, was summoned into the heavily guarded rear hall of the Lengshan County office.
Standing among the crowd, he looked at the familiar faces around him, all filled with fear and trembling.
A thoughtful glint flickered in his eyes.
[1] Lengshan 冷山 translates to → Cold Mountain
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